Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Now for some cards.....
I went to the Minneapolis Sports Collectible Convention a few weekends ago, and besides picking up some of the newer cards, I found these poor old cards looking for a new home...

For my Packers collection...

1961 Topps Paul Hornung Record Setting card

I also found these poor ole baseball cards from the Topps 52 set....

1952 Topps Dutch Leonard

1952 Topps John Pramesa

The Dutch card isn't to bad, but poor ole Pramesa had a corner torn off. AAAUGH!!!

And the PIECE DE RESISTANCE.....

1960 Topps Rival All Stars Mantle & Boyer

This poor ole card looks like it was used for stable gun practice.

Also, someone was practicing their spelling of YANKEES on the back.

But you can't pass on a cheap Mantle Card... can you????

I think the story of the Mantle Boyer card goes this way.... In 1960, lil Johnny opened a pack of Topps baseball cards. To his amazement, he received this card. He than proceeded to staple it to his bulletin board. Johnny was a huge Yankee fan, so he staple a small piece of paper over Boyer's face on the card, thus only leaving Mantle's visible.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

If you are trying to complete a set, or collect a specific team or player
check out my sites, using the tabs at the top of my blog.

Please: Use my web store and site as another source for your collecting needs.I have over 900,000 cards and will not be able to list them all. So if you need anything from the 80's and 90's: I can probably help.SELL OR TRADE !!!!Thanks for reading and shopping!!JeffKEEP ON COLLECTING!!

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Dance recitals , Band concerts , end of school activities, Prom, Graduation coming up, school senior party I volunteered to help with (I only have to cover 10pm to midnight), and of coarse the GRADUATION party (open house) with a mile and a half long honey do list to finish before Friday 5/31.

But I did have to take time for a quick blog.

Anthony Tarantino over at Poor Old Baseball Card (POBC) is running a month long contest to win a few POBCs. All you need to do is leave a comment on his blog for a chance to win.

Here is what I won.....

1969 Topps Bob Clemente

Here are the remaining cards that you can have a chance to win:

1973 Willie Mays

1974 Hank Aaron1975 Reggie Jackson

So if condition doesn’t matter, visit POBC blog for a chance to win.

It’s not always about that perfect Gem-Mint 10 … Is it?”

Its great to get these cards and wonder where they have been. Some kid back in 1969, that was a Clemente fan/ Pirates fan, pulled this card from a wax pack and carried it in is pocket to show his friends. Awww.. Memories...back than condition didn't matter. If they were cards you were keeping, they were thrown into a shoe box, binded together with a rubber band. Or you might have stuck the unwanted card in the spokes of your bike for that clack clack clack sound.

THANKS ANTHONY!!!! For bringing me back into collecting the NOT Gem Mint 10 Vintage cards.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Best Season was in 1949 with the Phillies. He had 17 wins, 14 complete games.
See complete STATS
Meyer is one of only three pitchers in Major League history to have gone at least 23-straight road starts without a loss. He went 24 consecutive road starts without a loss during the 1953 and 1954 seasons.
Is that Ebbets Field in the background?????

﻿﻿

1955 BowmanArt Houtteman

Youngest player in American League (1945–1946). Best season 1950 with Tigers.
19 wins ( 3rd behind Bob Lemon 23W, Vic Raschi 21W). All Star in 1950.
Complete STATS ﻿﻿

And now the card I was really going after (this was a lot purchase)

1955 BowmanEddie Waitkus (The Natural)

He only played 11years. His batting avg .285, 1214 hits, 373 RBIs. Was an All Star in 1948 and 49.
Complete STATS

Here is why I wanted this card for my collection. Read the top line of "My Biggest Thrill In Baseball" on the back of the card.....In 1949 I was shot by a deranged girl.
Author Bernard Malamud, who was not a baseball fan himself, took the basic elements of the Waitkus story and wove them along with various baseball legends (notably Joe Jackson) into a novel, a morality tale called The Natural. The book was published in 1952, and was eventually made into a film that was released in 1984.

Monday, April 8, 2013

NO not financially!! My Collection !! After reading many different blogs over the past few months, I have been seriously thinking about my collection and reorganizing it, and getting back to the basics.

It started out simple. Back in the early 70's, there was ONE card maker, Topps. I lived in Kansas City, and was a big Royals fan since their beginning in 1969. As a kid I collected anything Royals, along with cards of the stars of that era. I actually kept most commons as well, but some got traded or put in the spokes of the bike (UGH!!).

1969

1975

Than, in the late 70's, we moved to MN and I started to follow the Twins. Still kept up with the Royals as much as possible, but there was no INTERNET back than. So I started to add a few Twins to my collection.

Than the 80's came ......

Topps ------- Donruss ------------ Fleer

OH MY !!!

Early 80's, just graduated college, had a good job, and SINGLE!!! What I didn't spend elsewhere, was spend on cards. LOTS of cards!!! The collection was going nuts. Everything and anything..

Than the one that really changed it all.....

1989 Upper Deck

The 90's came, and I met my "Gem Mint 10" wife and had a couple kids and the collection slowed to a crawl. I would get some boxes and packs every now and than, but not like in the 80's. More controllable.

Today, my buying is about the same. I look for only the items I like. Buy a few packs or boxes here and there. Just enough to keep the collection as current as possible.

--YU DARVISH (hope to see him play in person) One batter shy of becoming 24th pitcher to throw a perfect game. Gave up a hit back up the middle, through his legs, to Marwin Gonzalez of the Astros.
8.2 innings .. 111 pitches ... 14 Ks ... 8 ground outs .. 1 fly out ... 3Apr13

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Which HOF pitcher was drafted by the Kansas City Royals, on Oct 15, 1968 as the 49th pick in the 1968 expansion draft from the Chicago White Sox? Than was traded by the Royals to the California Angels for Ed Kirkpatrick and Dennis Paepke, on Dec 12, 1968.

He was on the Royals roster for only 2 months, during the off season and never pitched an inning for them.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Just entered Doc's 2013 MLB Tournament at the closet. With only 2 teams left, and living in MN,I went with the Twins. Sounds like a fun tournament. Last I saw, there was still one spot open.
The Mets. If any one is interested in playing, visit Doc's blog .

OR this guy..... The next Mantle or Ruth (maybe someday playing in NY???)....Mike Trout !!!!!

Clement Rookie Card Patch !!!!! SWEET !!!!

AND the OUT OF BOUNDS SP MIKE TROUT !!!!! Awesome !!!!!!!

I think I need my wife to pick out more packs for me. Seem she has better luck than I do...

Now to the more up to date item... Topps Heritage.
Just out and bought a blaster and 2 addtional packs this past wednesday. Opened one pack so far..

Really nothing to exciting...but I did get two for my Rookie Trophy Cup collection ..YEAH !!!!
If I get anything exciting in the blaster, I will let you know.

UPDATE!!!
YAWNNNNNNNN!!!! After opening the blaster box, the only exciting card was the Ryan Braun
Refractor Chrome. And I did get a couple more Rookie Trophy cards, but not the ones I was hoping for; Trout, Darvish, and Harper. Maybe in the next packs.

Overall, I do like the Heritage, but not like the previous years. I like the base set of 2013 a little better this year.
Thanks for reading
KEEP ON COLLECTING!!
Jeff

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

All is right with the world once again; Baseball's Spring Training is now in full swing.
The smell of the fresh mowed grass. The gentle warm breeze blowing through your hair.
The crack of the bat, thump of the ball into the glove. The sights and sounds of BASEBALL
are back. (Than I turn and gaze out the window; 2 ft of snow, Temp at 15 with windchill making
it feel like -5. More snow coming this weekend. AGGGGHHH!!!)

Counting down the days till April, hoping not to have to wear our snowmobile suits to Target Field
to watch a game.

Here is to the start of a New Season, and may your team have a great year.
(I will be pulling for the Twins and Royals, not to be bottom dwellers) (Also a closet Yankee fan)ssshhh!

Let me know your favorite team, and how you think they will do.
Become a follower, and email your address and you could get a PWE !!

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Out of all the subsets put out by Topps over the years, the All-Star Rookie Trophy Card set is the heart and soul of my collection. Since 1959, Topps has selected players for their annual All-Star Rookie Team. The team usually consists of a player from every position, along with 3 pitchers (right hander, left hander, and reliever). With each card set the following year, Topps would put a trophy symbol on that players card. However, in 1974 and again in 1979 thru 1986, the trophy cup was left off. During those years, a list of All-Star Rookies were still selected by Topps. There were also some other deletions in other years in which there was a selection made, but Topps did not make any indication on the card. This made for a very interesting collection for me. Not only getting the cards with the trophy, but also making my set more complete by getting those players cards with out the trophy.

NOTABLE NAMES !

As of 2012, this sub set contains 53 rookie cards (one since 1989), 16 Hall Of Famers (with future ones coming up), and out of those, 5 are their rookie cards.

Here are a few names : 1960 Willie McCovey, 1963 Pete Rose, 1969 Johnny Bench, and 1982 and 1983 Cal Ripken (his cards did not have the trophy on them, and so far is the only player who made the list twice).

2005 Topps Rookie Cup card set

I was not happy when this set came out (at first), because I felt it would take away from the sub set in the regular issued set. I was glad they did not continue it. However; it did provide cards of some players that did not have the trophy on their card originally. (Ripken, Ozzie Smith, Molitor, Strawberry, etc).

Than came the 50th Anniversary inserts in 2008.

The only cards, out of the above sets that I put in my collection are the cards of players who originally did not have the trophy on it. By no means are they considered, to me, as part of the original collected sub set.

Than, in 2010 and 2012, Topps made a few short prints of the trophy cards. UGH !! (still looking to get the 2010 Omir Santos without breaking the bank)

Topps has started to include the trophy in their Heritage Set as well. (I do collect those)

They also had them on some in the Lineage Set , Opening Day, and Team sets. I only collect certain ones from those.

I have all the cards that have come out with the trophy on them since 1960. Still missing a few from the 80's that did not have the trophy on it. I will be putting those on my want list soon.

I would like to thank Baseball Reference for helping provide the complete list of players for each year.